


He's Watching

by TheSecretFandom



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Courtroom, F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, Holding Hands, Oh and Also, don't worry about toni, fp ships it, in which they aren't apart for long, let the sleuthing begin, post-205
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-15
Updated: 2017-11-15
Packaged: 2019-02-02 21:36:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12734772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSecretFandom/pseuds/TheSecretFandom
Summary: Jughead has to face the courtroom and his father alone after he's lost all of his old friends and gained the Serpents.Betty has to face Jughead, but is she ever really alone anymore?------------What would happen if FP's hearing came before Betty and Jughead reunited?





	He's Watching

**Author's Note:**

> You fuckers asked for it. Based on a tumblr post I made (https://thesecretfandom.tumblr.com/post/167476768433/imagine-jughead-going-to-fps-next-hearing-and). The idea to make it into a fic came from @risingbughead on Tumblr. I wrote this in an hour and didn't edit, kind of on a time crunch here! Anyway, enjoy!

Jughead did not want to be here. It was bad enough walking into the courtroom as the innocent child of a criminal with the support of good friends, but now everything is different. He sat on the hard bench just behind where his father would soon sit. So much had changed in only a few short days. Just last week he could still claim innocence, but he was a Serpent now. And Betty was gone… he hadn't heard from her since she sent Archie to break up with him. That was a week ago already.

None of his fellow Serpents came to FP's hearing to support them. It was too risky with many of them having been convicted of some sort of crime. Even Toni, who been sticking close to him ever since he'd told her about Betty, didn't show. Not that he wanted her to. He'd been weak the night they kissed. It was brief and he regretted it as soon as it happened. No matter how heartbroken he was, he knew he wouldn't find solace in the Serpent girl.

The time was approaching for the hearing to begin, and FP was walked into the courtroom by his lawyer and two armed guards. By now it seemed clear that FP wasn't a threat, but due to the nature of the crimes he was accused of he was always under the watchful eye of at least one guard.

"Hey, Dad." Jughead stood to hug his father, something they'd done more since Jason Blossom was discovered murdered than in the last ten years combined.

"Jug… where-where's Betty?" FP's eyes scanned the small crowd that had gathered, looking for the blonde girl.

"She's uh… she's not here." Jughead knew he should tell his father what happened. Out of the very few people left in his life, his father was the only one who really cares about Betty. "Dad, Betty left me. Everything is just so…" Tears welled up in his eyes, threatening to spill over onto his cheeks. "Everything is really messed up right now."

FP pulled his son into a hug again, and he held him longer this time. "This is my fault. If I was still home you would still be at Riverdale High."

"It's not your fault, Dad." Jughead sighed against his father's embrace. "It's mine. I've made some bad decisions and now I'm afraid I'll never get her back."

"I wouldn't speak too soon." FP pulled back, nodding toward the back of the courtroom.

There, in all of her blonde-haired, pastel sweater-wearing glory, Betty breezed into the room. Her eyes flickered around the room, though of course she knew exactly where she would be sitting. When she reached the bench where Jughead stood, she reached to give FP a hug.

"Hi, Mr. Jones." She said when they separated from the hug. "I've got a really good feeling about today."

"Thank you, Betty. It's good to see you."

FP was beckoned by his lawyer to return to his seat. Jughead's jaw was nearly on the floor with the surprise of seeing Betty, but somehow he found himself taking his seat with Betty taking a seat close, but not too close.

"Betty, what are you doing here?" Jughead kept his voice low, but he could help the sadness and…anger that came out in his words.

"I told you, I'm not giving up your dad, Jug." She stared straight forward and said the words plainly. Her face was set, emotionless, but Jughead recognized the telltale sign of tears building in her eyes. "Also, I need to talk to you."

"Why here? It's been a week, Betty. Why now?"

"It wasn't safe." Betty didn't turn to face him.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Jughead muttered. He turned in his seat to face Betty, but she slapped his arm.

"Sit normally. Look forward. I'll explain."

"Explain what?"

Betty lowered her voice further. "It's him. The Black Hood. I can't explain everything now, but it's his fault. He's obsessed. He wants me to cut the people I love out of my life. That's why I published that article about my mom, and that's the reason I can't be friends with Veronica."

"Betty, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying…" With all of the tears that she'd shed in the past week she didn't think she'd have any left, but a few dripped down her flushed cheeks. "He made me end it with you. He said he'd kill you… and he'd kill Polly and my parents, everyone. If I don't do what he tells me to do, he'll kill again."

Jughead was at a loss for words. He had been in a state of disbelief when Archie had so brutally broke the news to him last week, but in a way it had made sense. He had tried to console himself with reminders that they were just too different, and the distance was too much for them at their young age, and hey, most high school couples don't last anyway. None of that had helped, and now he understood why.

It wasn't over between them. It never ended in the first place.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" It was all he could think to say.

"He's watching me." Betty and Jughead both stood with the crowd when the judge entered the room. "Here was the safest place I could think of. I figured maybe he wouldn't get too close to the courtroom or that maybe he wouldn't be able to spy on me in here. I just had to tell you."

"I'm glad you did." Jughead's hand slid to encase hers. They were sat far enough away so as to not arouse suspicion, but close enough to reach each other. "What do we do now?"

Betty took her hand back and reached into her purse. "I got Kevin to find me two burner phones. One for you, and one for me. I have the number for yours memorized, I'll call you when it's safe. Never ever call me first and delete your call history every night. I'll do the same."

Jughead took the phone that Betty offered him and slid it discreetly into a hidden pocket inside his jacket.

"We're going to figure this out Betty." Jughead's hand moved so that their fingers brushed, sitting on the hard wooden bench.

"I know." She sighed. "I have a plan."

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on Tumblr @thesecretfandom


End file.
